PALOV: This is the deepest Q draft crop in history

This may sound like hyperbole, but I swear it isn’t: this might be the best QMJHL draft crop ever.

About the closest thing to this year’s class was in 1998 when Vincent Lecavalier went first overall and six others were taken in the first round.

But the 2013 group has a chance to surpass that.

There’s a legitimate chance Halifax Mooseheads linemates Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin will go first and second overall, while teammate Zachary Fucale will almost certainly be the first goalie taken. He could easily go in the top 10.

There are also as many as nine others who could go in the first round. You just don’t see that in the Q very often.

So as difficult as it was to narrow this list down to a top 10, let alone put them in order, here are the players to watch for Sunday’s NHL draft in Newark, N.J.:

1. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Halifax Mooseheads: I need to say this before I go any further: I would not want to be the one who has to decide between MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin on draft day. They are both so good and so competitive. They have all the qualities you want in a franchise forward.

But with that said, it looks like a done deal that MacKinnon will edge his close friend and Halifax linemate for the No. 1 honour. The Colorado Avalanche hold that pick but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them flip it to the Florida Panthers at No. 2 and take whichever Moosehead is still on the board. That’s how much I believe in the notion of their equal value.

2. Jonathan Drouin, LW, Mooseheads: He was the QMJHL regular season and playoff MVP, played on Canada’s No. 1 line at the world juniors and was the CHL MVP. No one can handle the puck or make plays like Drouin. He is just a such a talent.

3. Zachary Fucale, G, Mooseheads: Clearly, I have not met every prospect in this year’s draft but I will offer this opinion with a certain degree of certainty: Fucale is more mentally tough than all of them. He is fundamentally airtight in his crease and even better between the ears. He is a true franchise goalie and a winner.

4. Samuel Morin, D, Rimouski Oceanic: No one made more gains in the rankings late in the season. The six-foot-seven blue-liner is still growing and added a mean streak to his repertoire this year.

5. Adam Erne, RW, Quebec Remparts: The burly American is a prototypical power winger who can skate and score. He already plays a pro game.

6. Anthony Mantha, LW, Val-d’Or Foreurs: He was the only 50-goal scorer in the Q this year and comes in a six-foot-three, 200-pound package.

7. Valentin Zykov, LW, Baie-Comeau Drakkar: A complete mystery man at the start of the year, everyone knows Zykov’s name after he scored 40 goals and was named the CHL rookie of the year.

8. Frederik Gauthier, C, Oceanic: The rangy sniper is just as tall and talented as his Rimouski teammate. Scouts love his mature two-way game.

9. Emile Poirier, LW, Gatineau Olympiques: He too rocketed up the rankings down the stretch. Poirier opened many eyes with his outstanding skating and wide array of offensive talents.

10. William Carrier, LW, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles: He slid off the radar in the second half of the season because he didn’t play a single game after Dec. 14. But his advanced all-around game make him a low-risk pick.